Many schools in China will allow teachers to exceed the maximum age limits, particularly if you have already been teaching at a school before reaching the age limit ( 60 as I believe it is now), and also if you teach certain subjects (particularly HS math/science). It also depends on where you are willing to work, that being a smaller, lower tier school, or a less enviable location. You may have various challenges, regarding resources and students' abilities, but as an experienced teacher you will be able to contend with these challenges (if they exist), to the delight of the school, students and parents, where a younger , less experienced teacher might be over-whelmed by the fact that a Smart Board is not available in every classroom, and the internet speed is not always reliable.

Although there seems to be some who are worried about the status of their schools/locations, many of the smaller, "poorer" provinces are more open minded in their hiring policies. Mind you, you will not always be reimbursed according to your teaching experience, since many of these schools offer pay grades according to your time at their school only. There seems to be more reverence for experieced teachers, read "older" ( particularly from parents) in provinces like Yunnan and Guizhou, where you get the added benifit of quieter, less polluted cities that may appeal more to those teachers not chomping on the bit for a second shot at their 20's, or a first shot at China's night life, where mind you, as a foreigner in a smaller city, you will have less competion for your "rock star" staus ;)

Salaries are perhaps a bit lower, but cost of living is much lower and the over all quality of life is quite good, especially if you are not running around looking for every foreigner/western this or that, but are rather interested in experiencing China and its people.

I have taught in Beijing, Shanghai and Suzhou and while I had positive experiences there, my time in Yunnan and Guizhou have been by far my best experiences teaching in China( being north of 50 myself, and a country boy at heart ).

Good luck in your endevors, and if you find a good situation in China, you should have little trouble making a run out of it.

Thanks admin and PsyGuy for your comments/responses.

I perhaps have a fortunate situation since I teach upper math,physics and chemistry so I assume I usually have my CV thrown into a smaller pile. So far I have been pretty good at getting fairly accurate answers to most of the questions I have thought to ask. It is the questions I had not thought to ask that have sometimes led to "surprises". This list is growing increasingly shorter, thank goodness, and I really don't mind if a school/recruiter feels interviewed as much as I do. If they are indignant to begin with they will have little incentive to change once you are signed.

Correct PsyGuy, it is always difficult to weed the embellishments and euphemisms out of the garden of flowers painted by many schools and recruiters. I have never attended a recruiting fair but I can guess there are a lot of plastic smiles and sweaty handshakes. Asking to speak to a teacher currently on staff may only get you the director's right hand man and often outgoing teachers are nervous about references, benefits owed or gag clauses in their contracts.

My particular circumstances may leave me a little naive over the imbalances that exist between some employers and some teachers. I will check out the Bill of Rights and see how that pertains. Thanks again for the responses.

Cheers.

Just a thought in response to posts here and there looking for information and guidance in making potentially life changing decisions.

As most do, I assume, I find myself compiling a list of questions in preparation for job interviews to not only try to find out as much as possible about the school, staff, students, parents, community etc. but also admittedly to try to impress perspective employers with my professionalism and enthusiasm.

As much as these questions may be specific to a certain school/location, many of them seem rather universal. On the other hand, there have been many questions I have never thought to ask, and many questions I could not believe I should have asked.

My point?

It might serve our purposes if we could collectively compile a list of relevant questions ( regionally specific if desired ) that teachers can ask recruiters/perspective employers to help them get a heads up on a job offer and in particular, a feel for other job satisfaction determining criteria not specifically outlined in the job description.

Even further, to turn things on their heads, to come up with a "form" of sorts that teachers can provide to interested/interesting employers along with their CV/resumes/references which the employers themselves "are requested" to fill out, not only for simplification and clarification, but also frankly to have things put on record, particularly if they are not specified in a contract. How much would this be worth? More than nothing I think.

This might be threatening for an employer to face, and perhaps seen as a little arrogant on the part of the teacher but in some circumstances may be that would be a good thing. Teachers could decide to use it (in one form or another) as they see fit.

Thoughts/feelings ?